I've never been much of a Grendel fan. Oh, I've read a few stories, here and there, and while they were entertaining, they never hooked me on the concept... mainly because the concept seems so fluid. There's no one character or concept that is Grendel, it seems. It's one of the property's strengths, I suppose, but without a primer on the complexities of All That Is Grendel, I always feel a little out of the loop.
To my surprise and entertainment, though, that's not a concern here. This is a story of a little man in a dark future ruled by a disturbing mix of secular and religious greed, and the term "Grendel" is simple a synonym for "the Devil" and for "rebellion."
In the probably not-too distant future, corporate Catholocism rules over America, and near the top of that religious food chain is an old man named Cardinal Emmett. He is not a whole man, as parts of his body have been replaced with technology, but what he really feels is missing is the papacy. When the current pope dies, though, he sees opportunity, but he also develops a keen paranoia about one of the other contenders. Meanwhile, the cardinal's support of the development of a new, heavenly, euphoric drug begins to turn sour.
Those of us who first got to Sale's artwork through such super-hero titles as Batman: The Long Halloween and Daredevil: Yellow will be surprised by what they find here. There's an even more exaggerated, experimental tone to character design at play, and Sale uses other media to excellent effect here. He does so in a way that reminds me of the work of Brian (Channel Zero) Wood. Those images help to connect the story with the real world of today, making for a nice balance with the unreal elements of the setting and premise.
The visuals aren't without weakness, though. The commercial backrops of the carindals' broadcasts gets pretty repetitive by the issue's end, for example. And the lettering is often frustrating in how small it can be at times. I've got pretty good eyesight, and the letters here had me squinting.
The notion of an ambitious holy man -- an oxymoron, really -- is a fascinating one. Emmett and Milk's hypocrisy makes for a delicious read. There are no protagonists in this story. Everyone is an enemy, is a threat, and the biggest one that Emmett faces is himself. The scandal is an inevitable one, and why he was ever surprised by the developments that plagued his chances for the papacy points to a weakness of character that's unusual and refreshing in comics. The characterization and distortion of the Catholic church reminded me of something we'd find in a Garth Ennis book. Wagner's theocratic world serves as an extreme but poignant commentary on our own society.
